Machine for knitting



Feb.26,1929. l 1,703,607

' v P. A' BENTLEY l MACHINE 'Fon KNITTING Filed Nov. 23. 1925 2 sheets-sneer 1 A n. l as i s. 1

MWI/v for Feb. 26, 1929.

P. A. BENTLEY MACHINE Fox KNITTING Filed Nov. 23, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet mmf.

Patented Feb. 26, 1929.

PERCIVAL ARTHUR BENTLnrjoF Lniciis'rnn, ENGLAND.

MAHINE Fon. vKNi'r'irive.

Application` fried November 23, 1925, serieu No.

This invention relates to circular knitting machinesof the type that is characterized by having superposed needle cylinders Within corresponding cam boxes and means to produce relative rotation and rotary reciprocation of the cylinders andc'am boxes and by the employment of double ended needles, and itis to this class of machine that the phrase machine yas hereinbefore characterized used herein is intended to apply.` Examples of machines of this classare described in the specifications of British Letters Patent Nos. 15,008/1900 and 171,483. f

Objects of the present invention are to provide in such machines improved mechanism for feeding or for feeding and controlling the-feed .ofyarns to the needles, Where more than one yarn is to be knitted in in the production of the fabric. f

A feature of thev present invention is the f provision, in a machinel as herebefore lcharacterized, of means to feed to the needles at the knitting location, a plurality of yarns to be knitted together into the fabric produced, said yarn-feeding means being adapted, during the knitting to move once or at intervals to vary the position of the yarns in relationto one another at the knitting location, so that at one time one yarn and at another time a different yarn of the `plurality is knitted into the fabric in front of the other or others. By the above means, it will be understood, that patterns may readily be produced in the fabric by using yarns Which differ from one another in any visual respect, say,*in'colour. The invention comprises also as a feature, the provision, in a machine as hereinbefore f characterized, of yarn-feeding mechanism comprising two yarn feeders and means to shift said feeders relatively so that at the beginningof each of the reciprocations between the needle cylinders and cam boxes a lead of one yarn relatively to the other is established in vthe feed of the yarn to the needles.

The above and other features of the invention particularly pointed out in the appended claims Will be obvious to those skilled in the art from the following description, given by Way of examplaof several constructions that come Within the scope of the present n#q 70,976, and in Greet Britain neeember e, 1924.

vention, reference being had also to theac'v companying drawings which are, however,` to be regarded as more or less diagrammatic in character. f

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of one construction of yarn-feeding mechanism accordingto the invention;

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the mechanism of Figure'l;

Figure 3 is a plan of one of the feeders of the mechanism of Figures 1 and 2 i Figure 4 is a detailed view of a, part of the lmechanism of Figs. 1 and 2;

F igure 5 shows another construction of yarn-feeding means;

Figure 6 is a view taken atright angles to vthat of Figure 5 of parts'shown' in Figure 5;

Figure Tshows, detached, a portion of the mechanism of Figures 5 and 6;

Figure 8 shows another form ofthe part Vshown in v Figure 4.

Figure 9 is a, modified construction of the yarn-guiding device; and

Figure 10 is a section onthe linej16-16 of Figure 9.

Referring first to Figures 1-4', the upper portion of the machine containing the needle cylinders and associated cam boXes'is indicated diagrammatically at 2. `The yarn-feeding means in the construction shown in these figures comprises a pair of feeders 84, 86. VThe feeder 84 is movable substantially radially of the needle cylinders and the feeder 86 is movable substantially tangentially thereof. The feeder 84 is pivoted at 88 on a bracket 90'and is adapted'to be' moved about its pivot against the action of a spring 92 acam 94 on a lever 96. The feeder' 86 is carried by an arm A,98. pivoted .at and operatively connected with the lever 96 by a bar 102. The feeder 86 is adjustably mounted on the arm 98, it

Vhaving a'screwlthread portion engaging a correspondingly threadedhole inthe arm, a

lock-nut 104 being provided to fix the feeder in adjusted position. The yarn-guiding end or pipe of the feeder 84, (Figure 3') is adaptled to extend into and to be drawn out ofan enlargement 106 (Figure 4) of a slot108 `formed in a plate or latch 'guard 110, While the lpipe-like feeder 86 occupies at one time the position shown in Figure 2 and at another time a position adjacent a recess 112 in the plate 110.

In the normal operation of the machine, the yarns from the feeders 84, 86 are reversed in position each time each of the feeders is moved from one of its locations to the other, this movement of the feeders being brought about by mechanism acting upon the lever 96. This mechanism includes a rod 114 which is moved endwise by an arm 116 on a shaft 118, the shaft having another arm 120 upon it which is connected by a link 122 with a lever 124 adapted to be moved by a cam block 126 on the pattern chain 64 of the machine.

When what is known as half-round plating is to be effected, say when a foot bottom of a sock or stocking is to be knitted, the lever 96 is placed under control of a further mechanism which includes a second rod 128 moved endwise by a two-part arm 1.30-132 of which the part 130 is carried by a shaft 134 while the part 132 is pivoted at 136 on the part 130 so as to be able to swing in a more or less hori- Zontal plane. The two-part lever, as a whole, is adapted to be operated by a cam 138 on the main shaft 48 of the machine when the part 132 of the lever is swung into range ofthe cam 138, this being effected by an arm 140 on the shaft 118 which arm has a pin engaging in a hole in an ear or projecting part 142 of the part 132. To swing the part 132, cam blocks like the block 126 but of lesser height or throw are mounted at the appropriate places on the pattern chain 64, it being understood in this connection that, in practice, the timing of the machine parts is such that the part 132 is always moved into range of the cam 138 (or across and beyond the path of the cam when the higher cam block 126 is operative) at a time when its cam-engaging end is not liable to-strike against the side of the cam 138. Vhile the cam 138 is in operative engagement with the two-part lever 13G-132, that is to say for approximately one half of a revolution of the main shaft, each of the feeders 84, 86 is maintained in one of its two positions with the result that reversal of the yarns (and consequently the pattern-producing effect on the work) is suspended, being resumed when the cam 138 aasses from under the two-part lever and a higher cam block 126 controls the movement of the lever 96 by the chain of connections including the rod 'A 114 and arm 116.

During the oscillating movement of the needle cylinders, that is to say when, for example, a toe or heel pouch is being knitted the arm 98 is disconnected from the bar 102 and derives its motion from the needle cylinder or a part moving therewith. For this purpose, the bar 102 has a slot formed in it which is adapted to be engaged by a pin 144 projecting from the arm 98, the bar 102 being automatically pushed down to disengage these parts when the oscillating movement of the cylinders is to begin, by a bracket 146 through a hole in which a reduced end of the bar 102 passes, which bracket is attached to the usual rib lever rod 148 ofthe machine or any other part of the machine which has the. necessary movement imparted to it` at such time. The arm 98 after its disconnection from the bar 102 is swung from side to side by the oscillating movement of the needle cylinder, by way of a friction device 150 of any' suitable character which is mounted on thel arm 98 and presses against the adjacent needle cylinder or against a part carried by it. Set screws 152 are provided whichby engaging a lug on the arm 98 set a limit to the amplitude of the oscillations of the arm. 1t

will be noted, in this connection that the set screws 152 determine also the amount of swing of the arm 98 when it is being moved by the bar 102, and that to allow for any excess of movement on the part of the lever 96, the connection between the lever and the bar 102 is of a yieldingcharacter by reason of the presence of the springs 166. During they oscillatory movements of the needle cylinders the yarn-guiding end of the feeder 84 is main tained in the enlargement 106 of the slot 108 so that the yarns are not reversed in position at this time, the swinging of the arm 98 merely maintaining the usual lead of one yarn in relation to the other.

A modified form of the arm 98 is shown in Figures 5 and 6, which in conjunction with Figure 7 illustrate a construction that is primarily intended to be employed, in cases where the fabric requires a main yarn and an auxiliary yarn, as a means for establishing a lead of one yarn in relation tov the other during thef oscillatory movement of the needle cylinders, although as will appear later Vit may be used in cases where reversal of the yarns is desired. In this construction the arm 98X, like the arm 98, is pivoted at 100 at its upper end and is provided with a friction device 150 through which motion is imparted to the arm from the needle cylinder, and there are set screws 152 co-operating with a lug 154 to limit the amount of its swing. The main yarn is fed through a feeder hole 156 in a stationary plate 158 and the auxiliaryl or plating yarn extends through a pipe 160 carri-ed in the lower end of the arm 98X, this pipe, if desired, may be made so as to be adjustable lengthwise in the arm, for example, as in the manner described in connection with the feeder 86. The locations of the feeder hole 156 and the pipe 160 in relation to one another are shownv in Figure 5, from which it will be noted that the arln 98Xat its lower end has an opening 162 to permit the main yarn to pass unobstructedly to the feeder hole 156. Obviously, the arm 98X may be used in aconstruction akin to that illustrated in Figures 14, in which case yarn being led to the en'd A156 of this'slot by a feeder adapted to move radially 'of the needle cylinders as does the'feeder 84.

Figure 8 illustrates another form which the plate 110 may take, the slot 108 with its enlargement- 106 .being replaced, inthe platel 110X shown in that figure, by a recess 106X toward and from which the feeder 84 is moved ra-dially of the needles as hereinbefore described. l/Vith this form of plate, it is possible to reverse thc position of the yarns, not only 'during the `rotary movementof the needle cylinders but also, if desired, during the oscillatory movement thereof.

The modified construction of yarn-guiding device shown in Figures 9 and 10 comprises a plate 110W, which is substantially similar to the plate 110 of Figure 8, and which is provided with a recess 106. A second plate 170 having an elongated opening 171 therein is secured at its upper edge to the plate 1.10m, and the thickness of the lower parts of the plates 110XX and 170 is such that a space 172 is left therebetween as shown in Figure 10. During platingk the yarn that is passing to the needles from the feeder 84 when forward will pass through the opening.

171 and the recess 106XX substantially in contact with the top of said recess while the yarn from the companion feeder will pass through the opening 171 and the space 172 between the plates 110XX and 170.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Pat-ent is z- 1. In a circular knitting machine as hereinbefore characterized, a cam box and a needle cylinder capable of relative rotation, and means to feed to the needles at the knitting location a plurality of yarns to be knitted together into the fabric produced, said yarnfeeding means comprising a feeder movable substantially radially of the needle cylinder and a feeder movable substantially tangentially of said cylinder, said feeders being adapted during the knitting to be moved once or at intervals to vary the position of the yarns in relation to one another at the knitting location, so that at one time one yarn and at another time a different yarn-of the plurality is knitted into the fabric infront of the other or others.

2. In a circular knitting machine as hereinbefore characterized, a cam box and a needle cylinder capable of relative rotation, two 7arn feeders, one of said feeders being movable substantially radially of and the other substantially tangentially of the needle cylinder, a device'having a plurality of yarnguiding Vsurfaces arranged to `guide from said feeders different yarns at different angles to the needles at the knitting location, and means to move the feeders relatively to said device thereby shifting the yarns from one of said guiding surfacesy to another,- sothat at one time one yarn and atanothertime a different yarn is knitted into Vthe fabric in front `of the other.

3.v In a circular knitting machine as hereinbeforecharactemzed, a cam box 4and a needle cylinder capable of relative rotation Land vyarn-feeding mechanismV comprising a yarn feeder arranged to deliver yarn at an angle to the needles at the knitting location, an-

other yarn feeder arranged to deliver yarn at a different angle to the needles at the knitting location whereby yarn from one'feeder overlies yarn from the other feeder in the knitted work, and means to shift one of said feeders substantially radially of the needle cylinder, and the other feeder substantially tangentially thereof into positions such that, although said angles arey substantially unchanged, each feeder delivers its yarn substantially at the same angle as that at which the companion feeder delivered its yarn before the said shift occurred, thereby reversing the positions of theyarns in the knitted work. v

4. In a circular knitting machine as hereinbefore characterized, a cam box and a needle cylinder capable of relative rotary reciprocation, a pivot stationary in relation to one of said parts, a swinging yarn feeder supported on said pivot, a friction device on said feeder, a co-operating frictionk device stationary in relation to the other of said parts, and a second yarn feeder, all so constructed and arranged that at the beginning of each said reciprocation between the cam box and needle cylinder the swinging yyarn feeder is moved relatively to the second yarn feeder by the action of said friction devices thereby to establish a lead of one yarn. relatively to the other in the feed of the yarns from said feeders to the needles.

5. In a circular knitting machine, a cam box and a needle cylinder capable of relative rotation and rotary reciprocation, yarn-feeding mechanism comprising two yarn-feeders, means to shift said feeders relatively so that at the beginning of each of the reciprocations between the needle cylinder and cam box a lead of one yarn relatively to the other is established in the feed of the yarn to the needles whereby the relative positions of the yarns in the knitted work are maintained, mechanism for shifting the yarn feeders relatively to reverse such positions of the yarns and means coming into action automatically when the relative reciprocation between the needle cylinder and cam box is to occur, which means automatically disconnects one of the yarn feeders from its shifting mechanism to permit it to be operated by the means aforesaid by which a lead of one yarn relatively to the other is established.

6. In a circular knittingmachine as hereinbefore characterized, apcam box and a needle cylinder capable of rotary reoiproeation, two yarn feeders, one of said feeders being movable substantially radially of and the other substantially tangentially of the needle Cylinder, arranged to deliver different yarns at different angles to the needles at the knitting location, mechanism for moving said feeders to reverse the positions of the yarns vin the knitted Work, and further mechanism for controlling automatically the mechanism first 10 mentioned so as to render it inoperative atl times during the knitting.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

PERCIVAL ARTHUR BENTLEY. 

